A Bengaluru-based co-founder of a tech company recently faced intense scrutiny on social media platform X after sharing a screenshot of his substantial salary. Abhishek Chakravarty, co-founder of Youform, posted the image showing ₹420,000 credited to his ICICI bank account with the tongue-in-cheek comment, “You run a small SaaS that gives you freedom to choose a magic number for your salary.” The post was intended to be humorous, referencing the colloquial significance of the number ‘420’ in India. However, instead of generating laughs, the post attracted widespread criticism with many accusing Chakravarty of fabricating the screenshot or exaggerating his earnings. Critics pointed out what they perceived as incorrect formatting of the amount in the screenshot, claiming it should have been displayed as ‘4,20,000’ rather than ‘420,000’. Some users on X questioned the legitimacy of the screenshot, with one user named Yash commenting, “Not to undermine your efforts or achievements, but Indian banks still count in tens, thousands, lacs and so on, so the number should have had a ‘,’ after 4, like ‘4,20,000’, be it an international transaction or anything.” Another user, Mridul, outright accused Chakravarty of faking the image, stating, “Yes, it’s a completely fake screenshot, any number in lakh would look like this.” In response to the backlash, Chakravarty challenged his critics, inviting them to a video call to verify the authenticity of his claim. “Want to come on a video call to see it is right and then apologise in public?” he asked one critic. Chakravarty dismissed concerns about the salary amount being unusually high by stating that such figures are common in the tech industry. When one supporter backed him up, Chakravarty responded, “Seriously! Also, they don’t realise how common is this figure as a salary in tech.” Chakravarty previously built and sold Botflow, establishing his experience in the tech sector. The controversy highlights the intense scrutiny faced by public figures on social media and the challenges of communicating nuanced messages online.
Controversy Surrounding the Salary Post
The incident began when Chakravarty shared the salary screenshot on X, intending it to be a lighthearted post about the benefits of being an entrepreneur. However, the post quickly turned into a controversy with accusations of dishonesty and bragging.
Public Reaction and Entrepreneur’s Response
The public reaction was largely negative, with many questioning the authenticity of the screenshot and criticizing Chakravarty for flaunting his wealth. Chakravarty responded by challenging his critics to verify his claims through a video call and defended his salary as being typical for the tech industry.
